On 13 September, groups in 12 countries raised their voices to say NO to night flights at airports. From their harmful effects on health to their destructive climate impacts, night flights are an unnecessary nuisance that falls hardest on already marginalised communities.

From Portugal to South Korea, people took action in support of a declaration calling for a ban on night flights, which has already been endorsed by more than 200 neighbourhood associations, climate justice groups and NGOs.

Here’s a glimpse of what happened worldwide:

Austria

Dozens joined a bike demonstration with Lobau Bleibt, marking four years of struggle against a destructive highway project. Protesters stood in solidarity with the global call to ban night flights and draw red lines against airport expansion.

Belgium

Bond Beter Leefmilieu teamed up with the neighbour group Wij Liggen Er Wakker Van, bringing the issue straight to the Flemish Government’s cabinet offices. Dressed in full sleeping attire, they defended their right to a good night’s sleep.

France

From Paris to Bordeaux and Toulouse, residents affected by airport noise mobilised. In Paris, communities around Roissy Charles de Gaulle Airport posed for striking portraits with banners demanding a ban on night flights and denouncing the planned airport expansion.

Hungary

FoE Hungary (MTVSZ) and the Association for Sustainability joined the initiative with a creative ‚Pillow Picnic‘ in a public park in Budapest’s 10th district, an area heavily impacted by airport noise. With visual actions, noise mapping, and campaign planning, they highlighted the rapid rise of aviation in Hungary and its severe impacts on health, climate, and communities.

Ireland

St. Margaret’s The Ward Residents Committee and Children’s Rights Over Flights staged a protest at Dublin Airport, even blocking car traffic for some minutes, to denounce the sleepless nights and health impacts caused by aircraft noise, especially on children. Their protest comes as communities face a new threat: Ryanair’s legal challenge against the ruling that caps night flights, which would open the door to even more sleepless nights for residents.

Luxembourg

Supporters of Aéro Riverains staged a protest at the air navigation service authority, directly presenting their concerns to the director.

Portugal

Red lines were hung from balconies across Lisbon, including from the building of the Lisbon Tenants Association, to demand an end to night flights and airport expansion. In a city suffering from touristification and suffocating rents fueled partially by air traffic, climate and housing movements came together, including ATERRA, Climáximo, Associação de Inquilinos Lisbonenses and Habita.

South Korea

During the Birds and People’s March, a protest spanning 260 km from Jeonju to Seoul to defend the Sura Tidal Flat and resist the destructive Saemangeum New Airport project, participants carried banners and sang chants for a ban on night flights. This happened just after local groups achieved a major court victory!

UK

Supporters of CAGNE and GACC took action to stress that Gatwick Airport needs neither expansion nor night flights.

USA

Banners reading ‚No Nite Flites‘ were sighted at both King County International Airport and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in Washington state.

What’s next?

This day of action showed that communities worldwide can build a just, healthy and liveable future for all, breaking with endless airport expansion and sleepless nights.

From every corner of the world, more and more people are adding their voice to this growing movement and you can do the same: sign the petition in support of a ban on night flights.

And to connect the dots between the local impacts of air traffic and the global destruction caused by the aviation industry, join us for our webinar on 23 September. Together, we are stronger and we can challenge the aviation industry’s destructive path.